


Empty

by MadHatterLilith



Category: Gintama
Genre: Bad Parenting, Character Death, F/M, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Regret
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-07
Updated: 2020-02-07
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:46:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22598038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MadHatterLilith/pseuds/MadHatterLilith
Summary: There were a lot of things he thought could wait. Coming back to an empty home is wait it takes to realize being there for his family was never one of them.
Relationships: Kagura & Umibozu, Kouka/Umibozu
Comments: 2
Kudos: 15





	Empty

**Author's Note:**

> Love a sad romance! Kouka/Umibozu is my favorite pair to write for.

He didn't know what he was expecting.

Whatever it was, it wasn't anything he deserved. It was far more than he deserved.

The house looked the same from the outside; it was beaten down by the constant rain and storms. The outer paint cracked rather than pealed, the chipped roof tiles hanging on just barely for dear life. He told Kouka he would get them fixed each time he found a leak. But then he would leave, desperate to find a way to save her. 

He thought it could wait or maybe that they wouldn't have to worry about it at all. He would save his beloved wife, hug his adorable daughter and tell her he was home for good. Then they would get his foolish son (who ran off to play pirate of all things) and they'd go traveling. He'd show them the most beautiful planets ever and bring them to Earth as promised. They'd be a happy family again.

A leaky roof could wait.

The door still opened with a groan, the hinges in dire need of care. Another thing he thought could always wait. The stale air in the house smelled faintly of mildew and he covered his nose and mouthwash his hand as he went to the nearest window. And of course, it stubbornly stuck closed like it'd always been. He never got around to fixing that either, had he?

He forced it open to air out the room and took a look around. 

The kitchen was clear of stray dishes and the trash had been emptied. Thier cups had been lined up, with his cracked mug and Kamui's dusty glass pushed to the back. The counters were covered in a layer of dust. The pantry was emptied.

The bathroom was much the same, dust on the counter tops and clean towels stashed away. The mirror was broken, but every last shard had been collected and thrown out. Only jagged edges remained in the frame. He was almost glad for that; he didn't want to see himself in that moment. 

He turned away from it and went back to the main room. It was a small house; they ate and slept in the same area. But the futons were put away, no one sat at the table, and not a single thing looked as though it had been used in several months. The walls were bare of any family photos, thier small collection piled on that empty bed.

He picked one up, and saw his wife's smile as she held their son, not even a year old yet. He stood next to her, proud as could be. 

In another, Kamui was big enough to ride on his shoulders. He and Kouka were smiling at the camera, he with tears in his eyes and her with a loving smile as she cradled her baby bump. 

The next one was of just Kamui and Kagura. Kamui was staring wide eyed at his baby sister with and excited grin on his face. He remembered Kouka gently reminding the boy to support the sleeping baby's head as he held her. He used to be such a proud and loving brother.

There was one more, an old one in a cracked frame. It was the two of them, when they were younger and had just bought the house right before they got married. He was sporting the silliest grin, his arm less than an inch over her shoulder. He was still too shy to casually touch her like anyone else and, judging from her gorgeous little smirk, Kouka knew it.

He sat on the edge of her empty bed for quite some time, staring at the photographs.

A leaky roof could wait, a window that kept getting stuck closed could wait. They were minor things, things they wouldn't have to worry about soon while they were traveling in space. 

Little things like that could wait. Time couldn't.

How long had it been since he last returned home? A year and six months ago? Or was it closer to eight? And that wasn't his longest trip by far either. How long had he expected time to wait on him? 

How long did he expect Kouka to keep fighting to stay alive? How long did he expect his daughter to wait here, watching her mother die?

He'd known as soon as he arrived. Kagura wasn't waiting on him or coming to greet him like she usually did; she'd always seemed to have a sixth sense to tell her if he was on his way or not. He knew what he would find when he walked into his old home. Could he even call it home anymore?

The house had always been a bit drafty, but that day, as the rain poured down, it was especially cold. In that empty house, Umibozu sat on the bed his wife died in. In that empty house, he cried, knowing no one would see.

No one was coming back to this place again. It was no one's home.

It was just an empty shell.

**Author's Note:**

> Might write a fic to go with this for his relationship with Kagura and Kamui too. The idea was "what if he wasn't there when Kouka died and Kagura dealt with it all alone?" (Cause I can't remember if he was there or not?)


End file.
